There's no law against it. :haha:

from here: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local...oods_plan.html

Fri, May. 8, 2009

Interested party surfaces to oppose Foxwoods plan
By Jennifer Lin

Inquirer Staff Writer

A new obstacle to Foxwoods Casino's move into the old Strawbridge's building emerged yesterday at a City Council hearing - an opponent so significant that members postponed a zoning vote on the project.

In a terse statement, Joshua Cohen, a lawyer for Gramercy Capital Corp., described the property at 801 Market St. as a "business condominium" and said his client owns the top six floors of the 13-story building.

Gramercy opposes the casino zoning designation, Cohen told Council, saying it "would not be in our best interest."

The Foxwoods partnership has been negotiating for months with the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust for a lease to open a slots parlor on two floors. But first the building must be zoned for a casino. Currently, that designation exists for the Gallery mall in Market Street East, from which Foxwoods wants to relocate the project.

"Contrary to what" PREIT purports, it does not "own" the entire building, Cohen said.

In a surprise turn, Council's Rules Committee decided not to vote until next week on shifting the casino zoning to the Strawbridge's site.

Foxwoods needs the new zoning for Strawbridge's before it can ask the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to move its site off the waterfront. Under terms of its license, Foxwoods was supposed to have 1,500 slot machines operating by May 29. It also must ask the board for an extension of that license.

The move to Strawbridge's would require the renovation of two floors - a far simpler design than once envisioned for the waterfront, where a hotel, sprawling casino, and parking garage were planned.

A half-dozen neighborhood groups testified against a downtown casino.

any new renderings ? what they are building seems to be structured differently then the renderings. by different i mean there's more a smaller "cube" on the top (made of steel) on the north side

you can see it in brad's photos above

No, I haven't been able to locate any new renderings. I am not sure what the cube is that you mentioned, except maybe that is just the beginning of the upper level? This portion of the CC is going to have a higher roof-line than the existing building.

The expansion is supposed to include a large ballroom and a gallery space to be used by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Maybe that extra space on top is for those things.

unless rendell took my email personally and decided to make it an open to the public grassy-on roof-lawn / outside eatery / observation deck:banana: :banana: :banana:

Looks like the parking garage portion of the Art Museum's new parking garage + sculpture garden + little thingamajig on that silt island is completed. Now all that's left is the landscaping!

Also, I heard a rumor that half of the DuPont Crescent trail is completed. Does anybody have any pictures of that area? It would be nice to know how the Schuylkill Banks' first major expansion is going--although I doubt it will be as heavily-used until it's interconnected into the main trail via the boardwalk leading to it from Locust and the bridge to Bartram's Garden.

not the best pic but view from comcast center to convention center today.
 

Moving on up!

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...entioncent.jpg

from phillyskyline.com (click to enlarge)

http://phillyskyline.com/misc/090515a.jpg

Schuylkill Banks
 

here :http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_...d_parcels.html


Thu, May. 21, 2009


Fairmount Park Commission OKs acquisition of Schuylkill land parcels
By Stephan Salisbury
Inquirer Culture Writer

In virtually its last act after 142 years in existence, the Fairmount Park Commission yesterday approved the acquisition of 12 acres - two parcels that will be carved from a bank of the Schuylkill south of Center City.

The prospective parkland is composed of two unpromising slivers at the moment, but will form the next sections of the Schuylkill River Trail, the green ribbon running for miles along the river from Montgomery County, down through the city to Locust Street, and eventually to the Delaware River.

Schuylkill River Sojourn

A 110-mile guided canoe or kayak trip down the Schuylkill River

Date: 6/6/2009 - 6/12/2009


http://www.gophila.com/assets/dmt/im...n-DanCreig.jpg


On the Sojourn, with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Center City skyline in the background
Photo by Dave Creighton

There's no better way to get to know the long, winding river that's played such an important role in our region's history than this week-long river "sojourn."

You'll take your own canoe or kayak on the guided trek, which starts at Schuylkill Haven and goes all the way to Philadelphia, ending with a party beside the Philadelphia Water Works.

You don't have to be a particularly skilled paddler to enjoy the week, which will have you immersed in nature, and you can join up for a day or two if a week of paddling is too much.

Expect a week of paddling and camping, rain or shine, with several portages required.


CONTACT INFO
140 College Drive
Schuylkill River Heritage Area
Pottstown, PA 19464

(MapQuest)
(484) 945-0200
http://www.schuylkillriver.org/sojourn.aspx

Schuylkill River Park adds two sections
Posted on Wed, Jun. 3, 2009
By Stephan Salisbury

Inquirer Culture Writer

"We want to keep the wildlife," Joe Syrnick said, standing in a dreary field of weeds near the east bank of the Schuylkill.

As he gazed toward the river with its tangles of scrub and trees, a tawny dog bounded over a rise, then stopped and stared, concerned by humans invading his isolated jungle territory.

"Oh, yeah, there are feral dogs in here, but they're not a problem," said Syrnick, executive director of the Schuylkill River Development Corp. "They've never attacked us."

On one side of the dog, just past the weedy tree line, the river flowed. On the other, beyond a chain-link fence and a hillock, trucks pushed and pulled and organized vast amounts of the city's garbage.

Such is a future parkland setting in Philadelphia.

In a year, if all goes as planned, the garbage haulers will surely remain, but weedy field, invasive shrubs, and wild dogs will be replaced by a three-quarter-mile sweep of greensward and asphalt pathway - the newest portion of the Schuylkill River Trail park and path, currently running south from Montgomery County through the city and stopping at Locust Street.

Two new parcels, amounting to about 12 acres, have been acquired and deposited with Fairmount Park by Syrnick's organization, which is charged with reclaiming as much of the riverfront as possible for use by city residents.

At its last public meeting before closing down for good after 142 years, the Fairmount Park Commission accepted both parcels. It was virtually the last act of the commission, created in 1867 to acquire land, particularly industrial land along the Schuylkill.

The first new river parcel, where Syrnick spotted the tawny dog, is known as Dupont Crescent. It runs roughly from the 34th Street-University Avenue Bridge, under the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge and on to Wharton Street in a small neighborhood known as Forgotten Bottom.

This parcel, which traces a sharp bend in the river, is located behind the DuPont Marshall Laboratory, a research facility noted for development of vehicle coatings and paint. (DuPont plans to close the lab this month, with the loss of some 265 jobs.)

The city acquired a ribbon of DuPont riverfront about 200 feet wide, much of it contaminated by heavy metals from paint testing. Syrnick's group cleaned up the toxic areas last fall and is now prepared to create a strip of parkland stretching behind the DuPont lab building and the Waste Management trash-interchange site next to it.

The second of the new parcels will extend the river trail from its current terminus at Locust Street to South Street. But the sliver of land between the existing CSX railroad tracks and the river quickly narrows south of Locust, forcing a radical design solution to keep the trail going: Syrnick's group will build a 2,000-foot boardwalk out into the river, connecting to the rebuilt South Street Bridge by ramp. The boardwalk will be 15 to 17 feet wide, with overlooks extending even farther out into the river.

Syrnick says the DuPont Crescent section of what the development corporation has dubbed Schuylkill Banks will cost $3 million. About $500,000 has already been spent on hazardous-materials cleanup. That section will be bid this summer and could be completed by the end of next summer.

While DuPont Crescent will be accessible from the 34th Street Bridge and from Wharton Street, the trail will exist as a disconnected strip, a forlorn lozenge flanking an industrial desert, at least for awhile.

The boardwalk to South Street will be much more costly - roughly $10 million - and more difficult to complete.

Syrnick said that he hoped for some state funding, but that the project is not, as they say, shovel-ready yet. The new South Street Bridge, however, scheduled for completion in late 2010, has a trail ramp integrated into its design, and Syrnick hopes that will help push for completion of the boardwalk. No one, he believes, wants a ramp to nowhere.

At South Street, the trail will have to cross over to the west side of the river for the simple reason that the eastern bank of the river is still in active use by Peco.

On the west side of the river, the Schuylkill Expressway blocks access to the water. Syrnick believes a route can be found near the river, perhaps along a little-used service road.

At 34th Street, the trail would cross back over along the existing bridge to the eastern bank, run down to the DuPont property and around the crescent on the newly acquired land. Just past the Grays Ferry Bridge, where an abandoned railroad swing bridge already exists, the trail would cross back over to the west bank and run down to Bartram's Garden.

"That's where you want to be," said Syrnick. "It sounds like a lot of crossing over the river, but guess what - that's what's cool about it.

"We've got seven miles to go to the Delaware River," he said. "It's not possible to build [the trail] in order. So we say when you get it, build it, and if there's a gap, that will create an urgency to close that gap."

link

PHILADELPHIA: Dilworth Plaza transformation
 

Dilworth Plaza Plans Advance

The Philadelphia Historical Commission granted conceptual approval at its May meeting to the Center City District's plan to redesign Dilworth Plaza, adjacent to City Hall. CCD's plan includes two glass, sloped-roof transit entries on axis with West Market Street, a glass structure containing a cafe and transit entrance in the northern portion, a large lawn and a versatile water element that may be turned off to allow use as a public gathering space. The plan also includes substantial below-grade changes to the concourse and transit entries. The Preservation Alliance testified at the Commission meeting, expressing concern about the lack of public input in the planning of this high-visibility public space, the nature of the design and the lack of public art as a defining element of the design.


Excellent slideshow here: http://www.preservationalliance.com/...sal%200409.pdf

Wow! This is such an improvement over last year's plan. I think they finally got it right. :D :cheers:

I hope they can start this soon.

I agree. This is a much better solution. Of course the CCD will need to hire someone just to keep all of the glass clean.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/...0a2a55.jpg?v=0
Image: Page 31 of Center City District Proposal: Transforming Dilworth Plaza

I like how the pedestrian bridge from Market St to City Hall's west portal crosses over top of the class canopy AND the fountain. Nice touch.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2471/...9fc4bb93_o.png
Image: Page 27 of Center City District Proposal: Transforming Dilworth Plaza

Have to agree that it is a nice improvement... my only concern with that glass swoop above is... what would stop people from climbing on it? It may sound silly, I know I wouldn't - but I've also seen plenty of dumb people do dumb things.

Oh well, details, details...

I can see that as being a collector of trash and dirt

cubanChris' and Watusi's last comments are right on the mark, and unfortunately, are uniquely Philadelphia! I think there are a lot of cities where the concern over trash accumulation or inappropriate behavior would not be a concern, but of course, here in Philadelphia we have to worry about.

I think half the problem with 15th and Market, Dilworth plaza and Love Park aren't design flaws but the city's willingness to let them be treated as toilets, trash receptacles, and unlicensed retail kiosks.

That was a great slideshow. It really makes clear the amazing amount of change and urban evolution that has occurred in that Square gpomg back to 1800. The new plans look like they'll refine the Square and really bring it up to par.

Yeah, and the swoopy glass roof also looks like it would make a great target for skateboarders ;)